The Flywheel

Next Meeting: September 10TH

Global Real Estate Securities, including the United
States

Joel Beam, who runs the Forward Select
Income Fund for Forward Management SF, will draw on his
experience in real estate securities and REIT investing
to discuss his view of the global real estate securities
markets. Beam's fund is Morningstar ‘5 Star’ rated.

This program may suggest investment strategies which
are made without recommendation or warranty.

Last Meeting: September 3rd

Welcome, Invocation, Thought for the Day

Club President Alan Baer rang the bell
and called the meeting to order. George Egan led
the Pledge of Allegiance. Stoney called
for a moment of silent prayer for freedom, peace, and
justice on Earth.

Rotarians with Guests

Joan Davis introduced her guest, Michelle
Poehlman, the Development Director of the Richmond Community
Foundation. The guest of Mark Howe was
David Del Simone, an attorney in Point Richmond. The
guests of invited speaker Mayor Gayle McLaughlin were
Kay Wallis, Juan Reardon, Eduardo Martinez, and Elizabeth
Watts.

Sunshine Report

Dan Tanita had triple cardio bypass
surgery at the beginning of the summer, had a relapse,
but is now doing well. Richmond Rotarians sent him their
good wishes and hoped for his speedy recovery.

Announcements

Alan Baer described two dictionary projects.
The first brings English dictionaries to Africa. Our
District Governor asks each Rotarian to donate $7 for
this worthy endeavor. The second dictionary project
distributes dictionaries to West Contra Costa schools.
Contact Alan for
more information.

Bob Dabney was pleased to announce
that he had all the volunteers he needed for the GRIP
Dinners to be held on October 27th, October 24th and
December 15th. To learn more, contact Bob.

In past years, Richmond Rotary has given $100
to each teacher of Peres Elementary School for the
purchase of classroom supplies, a project we are doing
again this year. David Brown reported
that teachers typically spend up to $1,500 yearly out
of their own pocket for supplies. Many members wrote
out checks and within a few minutes, David
had collected some $1,100—short of our goal,
but impressive. You can send your check to David in
coming days.

Mark Howe informed us that the
Peace Garden will be spotlighted on TV. For the time
and date, contact Mark.

Alan Baer advised members that the Contra Costa
College Career Day is September 29th. Contact Alan for
more information, especially if you feel your career
is worth talking about with a receptive high school
student.

Recognitions

James Beaver conducted Recognitions in
masterful fashion.

Erle Brown celebrated his wedding
anniversary—uneventful, he confessed—and in recognition
of the milestone he made a donation to the Carl Reyfus
Fund.

Happy and Sad Dollars

"The Beav" continued his mining operation:

Joan Davis had happy and sad dollars.
The sad dollars were for a long-time friend who passed
away. Her happy dollars were for her son getting married.

Rafael Madrigal, Erle Brown, Jim Young,
David Brown: the smiles, stories and dollars
went by a bit too quickly for our scribe to scribble
the details this time. Suffice it say that Rotarians
know how to enjoy themselves and raise money at the
same time.

To wit: Jim Beaver offered a twenty to the kitty
if anyone could answer this trivia question, chosen
especially on the occasion of today's presentation
by our current mayor: "Who preceded Mayor Thomas
Corcoran as Richmond's mayor?" John Nicol immediately
shot out the answer: "Stan Grydyk. And Stan was
a Richmond Rotarian."

Wow. No senior moments stalking the recesses of that brain.

PROGRAM

Mayor McLaughlin's "Unlimited
Possibilities" for Richmond

(This is a shortened version of
a longer summary of the Mayor’s remarks, recorded
by Yvonne Nair. Download the complete
summary.)

Yvonne Nair introduced Richmond Mayor Gayle
McLaughlin, electedto her first term as Mayor
in November, 2006. She seeks re-election this year.

Mayor McLaughlin thanked the Richmond Rotary for inviting
her to speak, and for its long history of community service. “Richmond,” she
said, “is a city of unlimited possibilities.” As
its mayor, her focus has been “to help move the
City fully into the 21st Century,” with new green
and sustainable jobs, new businesses, and a higher quality
of life. Among her first-term accomplishments, she cited
the following:

The City budget has been balanced without cutting
services or laying-off workers.

Richmond has negotiated with Chevron on a settlement
for the corporation to pay an additional $114 million
in taxes over the next 15 years.

The City showed a declining trend in violence with
60% fewer homicides this year.

Mayor McLaughlin joined other East Bay mayors to
found the East Bay Green Corridor which promotes the
new green economy, the only growing sector of the region’s
economy and the sector in which Richmond already has
40-plus green-certified businesses.

The Mayor also co-founded Solar-Richmond which is
training hundreds of young Richmond residents in solar
energy installations, supporting our 21st Century economy,
and making Richmond number one in the Bay Area in per
capita solar-watts-installed.

Moving on to other accomplishments during her tenure,
the Mayor cited:

The Green Team
The City employs a full-time environmental staff, who
form a “green team.” New environmental
initiatives during her tenure include green building
ordinances, waiving of solar permit fees, and new waste
reduction policies. She noted that Richmond now is “an
official California Green City.”

Jobs and Business Promotion
The Mayor has worked with all stakeholders to strengthen
local employment programs. The City’s summer
youth employment program has given jobs to more than
2,000 young people, and places them with part-time
jobs year round through the Richmond Youth Corps.

The Mayor noted that the Business Opportunity Ordinance
has been strengthened to specify 20% to 25% inclusion
of Richmond businesses, of which 10% must be small businesses. New
businesses “have brought more than 1,000 jobs to
Richmond.”

Municipal development
During her term, the City has completed the Gold LEED
Certified Civic, renovated Nevin Park, created a skate
park at Nichol Park, promoted Greenway gardens for
residents’ vegetable gardening, re-opened library
branches, supported the restoration of the Richmond
Plunge, and undertaken major renovations of the Macdonald
Avenue streetscape.

The Mayor noted that the City is a partner in the NURVE project
(Nystrom United Revitalization Effort) and with the East
Bay Center for Performing Arts for their new Winters
Building.

Quality of life
“Soon we’ll have a
new General Plan based on new urban planning principles
with a groundbreaking public health element and climate
change element. All these 21st Century developments are
giving Richmond a new reputation. They are encouraging
more and more business to come into Richmond.”

Pt. Molate and the Chevron Upgrade/Expansion project
Addressing the controversial subject of Pt. Molate development,
the Mayor said that the proposed casino would “burden
our City with more problems than solutions,” including
more crime, traffic, and addiction. She advocated a
project that will bring together retail, education
and art centers, a vocational training center, and
recreational facilities.”

Regarding Chevron’s “Energy and Hydrogen
Renewal Project”, the Mayor stated that it was “shot
down by three judges and two courts because Chevron prepared
a flawed EIR (Environmental Impact Report). (...) We
expect all our businesses in Richmond – large and
small–to play by the rules, and I challenge Chevron
to be a better corporate neighbor. I know they can do
it.”

Concluding, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said, “Our
vision must be broad and we must not short-change ourselves
with low expectations. We will not look backward, but
we’ll continue moving our City into the 21st Century
with new jobs, businesses, and quality of life that you—
that all of us— deserve.”

(This is a shortened version of
a longer summary of the Mayor’s remarks, recorded
by Yvonne Nair. Download the complete
summary.)

- Yvonne Nair, rotating scribe

Upcoming Programs

September 17
Addressing the health and safety challenges to Richmond's
children, Patti Menjou, Program Coordinator for the
Adolescent Parent Program at Richmond High School,
and Kathy Hardy, Associate Director of the YMCA Child
Care Programs, describe their work in local high
schools.

Have a suggestion for a speaker?
Please pass along the name and contact information
to Jim Young.